Camouflage: The ability to use colour to blend or hide an animal or plant into their natural surroundings.
Chromatography: Separating different colours.
Colour: The sensation produced by the effect of waves of light striking the retina of the eye. Different colours are produced by rays of light having different wavelengths and objects absorbing all but one of these wavelengths. The wavelength not absorbed (reflected) gives the object that colour. An object that is black has no colour because it is absorbing all wavelengths of colour. An object that is white contains all the colours because it is reflecting all the wavelengths of colour.
Colour Blindness: Inability to distinguish between different colours.
Dye: A substance containing material that colours or stains. Natural dyes are made from plant and animal remains. Dyes are used to change the colour of a material.
Hue: The name of each colour.
Manufactured Objects: Man made objects.
Mordant: A chemical which fixes the dye so that it will not run or fade.
Natural Objects: Objects which are produced or exist in nature. Not artificial.
Opaque: Does not allow light to pass through.
Primary Colours: A group of colours when mixed together, in various combinations, can yield all other colours. Red, blue and yellow are primary colours.
Prism: A transparent body with triangular ends which is used for separating white fight into the spectrum.
Rainbow: A bow or arch of seven colours which can be seen in the sky sometimes. A rainbow shows all the colours of the spectrum: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.
Secondary Colours: A colour produced by combining two of the primary colours.
Shade: The lightness or darkness of a colour.
Transparent: The ability to transmit light so that bodies beyond or behind can be clearly seen.
